2A — January 29 - February 11, 2016 — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
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American Architectural ............................ 16A Arrow Steel................................................ 38A Capitol Aerials........................................... 36A Capstan.................................................. IFC-A Crystal Window & Door Systems. ............ 18A E.B. Cohen................................................. 24A Elliott-Lewis. ............................................. 20A Environmental Systems........................ IBC-A Equipment Marketers............................... 17A Fowler Companies..................................... 31A Greater Reading Economic Partnership. . 10A Hillcrest Paving & Excavating............. IBC-A Integrated Business Systems. .................. 25A Integrity Graphics....................................... 3A Investors Real Estate Agency............... IBC-A IREM.....................................................32-33A Jewel Electric Supply................................ 30A Kaplin Stewart. ......................................... 11A Kay Commercial Realty. ....................... IBC-A LEW Corp.. ................................................ 36A M. Miller & Son......................................... 19A Marcus & Millichap.................................BC-A Meridian Capital Group............................ 23A NAI Mertz.................................................... 4A NAI Summit........................................... IBC-A NJAA.......................................................... 31A NJIFMA..................................................... 29A P. Cooper Roofing. ..................................... 22A PCS............................................................. 28A POA...............................................................34 Poskanzer Skott Architects....................... 21A PREC.......................................................... 41A R&J Control Inc......................................... 37A RD Management.......................................6-7A Sheldon Gross Realty................................ 27A Specialty Building Systems. ..................... 26A Subway......................................................... 5A The Kislak Company................................... 3A Total Cleaning Associates......................... 17A USGBC....................................................... 39A MAREJ A dvertisers D irectory
M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
M id A tlantic R eal E state J ournal Publisher .................................................................Linda Christman Publisher ....................................................................Joe Christman Senior Editor/Graphic Artist ..................................... Karen Vachon Production Assistant/Graphic Artist ............................... Julie King Associate Publisher ................................................. Alissa Aronson Associate Publisher .............................................. Barbara Holyoke Associate Publisher .....................................................Steve Kelley Office Manager .........................................................Joanne Gavaza Contributing Columnist . ........................................... Michael Mullin Mid Atlantic R eal E state J ournal ~ Published Semi-Monthly Periodicals postage paid at Rockland, Massachusetts and additional mailing offices Postmaster send address change to: Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal, 312 Market St. Rockand, MA 02370 USPS #22-358 | Vol. 28 Issue 2 Subscription rates: $99 - one year, $198 - two years, $4 - single copy REPORT AN ERROR IMMEDIATELY MARE Journal will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion Toll-Free: (800) 584-1062 | MA: (781) 871-5298 | Fax: (781) 871-5299 www.marejournal.com The views expressed by contributing columnists are not necessarily representative of the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal
Michael Mullin
Cybercrime: The Importance of Knowledge, Preparation &Vigilance yber-safety, a common term used to describe a set of practices, mea- sures and/or actions that pro- tect technology and informa- tion from attacks, is a hot topic in business these days. Every company – whether large or small – is a target for cyber- crime, and being prepared and vigilant has become an absolute necessity. Understanding security threats is a good place to start. Today’s most common issues span five basic categories: •Viruses, which infect com- puters through email attach- ments and file sharing, can delete files, attack other com- puters and make systems run slowly. •Hackers are people who “trespass” into computers from remote locations. They can then cause the breached machine to malfunction, or use it to host a website, send spam or spread viruses. •Identity thieves obtain un- authorized access to personal information, such as social security and financial account numbers. They can then use this information to commit crimes such as fraud or theft. •Spyware, which is software that piggybacks on programs that are downloaded, gathers information about a user’s online habits and transmits personal information without their knowledge. •Ransomware is a more recent – and rapidly grow- ing – threat. Perpetrators restrict access to software programs and files, most of- ten by encrypting them, and then demand that the users pay a ransom to remove the restriction. These issues are serious, and they are becoming more prevalent. Symantec, a cyber- security tool provider, re- ported that security breaches increased by 23 percent in 2014. More than 317 million new pieces of malware were created, averaging to nearly 1 million new threats each day. For businesses, the reality of a security breach can be devastating and costly. An IBM study found the “aver- age consolidated total cost of a data breach” in 2014 was C
$3.8 million, and that the cost for each stolen or lost record containing sensitive informa- tion was $154. Additionally, consider the costs associated with downtime resulting in lost access to the computing network, or the implications of the exposure of confidential customer data, company finan- cial information and business intelligence. How, then, can a company minimize its exposure? First, all devices connected to the business’ computing network should meet certain security standards. Second, and equal- ly important, management should provide staff with the services and training needed to meet these cyber-safety standards. In a recently published Em- ployee Hack Guide, IBS out- lines seven actions that help protect computers and data. In most cases, the implementa- tion of these security measures takes only a few minutes. 1.Install OS/software up- dates. Updates, sometimes called patches, fix problems with an operating system (OS) (e.g., Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X) and software programs (e.g., Microsoft Of- fice applications). Most new operating systems are set to download updates by default. After updates are downloaded, users are asked to install them. Click yes! 2. Run anti-virus software. To avoid computer problems caused by viruses, install and run an anti-virus program like Vipre, a product from Threat- Track. Periodically, check to see if the anti-virus is up to date by opening the anti-virus programand checking the date of the last update. 3.Prevent identity theft. Never give out financial ac-
count numbers, Social Secu- rity numbers, driver’s license numbers or other personal identity information unless the recipient is known. Never send personal or confidential information via email or in- stant messages, as these can be easily intercepted. Beware of phishing scams – a form of fraud that uses email mes- sages that appear to be from a reputable business (often a financial institution) in an attempt to gain personal or account information. 4.Turn on personal firewalls. Check computer security set- tings for built-in personal firewalls – and turn them on. Firewalls act as protective bar- riers between computers and the internet. Hackers search the Internet by sending out pings (calls) to random com- puters and wait for responses. Firewalls prevent computers from responding. 5.Avoid spyware/adware. Spyware and adware take up memory, and can slow down computers and cause other problems. Use Spybot and Ad- Aware to remove spyware/ad- ware. Both of these programs are available online for free. 6. Protect passwords. Never share passwords. Establish a company “safe word” that a support technician requesting your work system login must know. Do not use one of these common passwords or any variation of them: qwerty1, abc123, letmein, password1, iloveyou1, (yourname)1, base- ball1. Change your password periodically. When choosing a password, mix upper and lower case letters and use a minimum of eight characters. 7. Back up important files. Reduce the risk of losing im- portant files to a virus, com- continued on page 3A
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